The Dragon's Melancholy
by whitelilies
Summary: She's fifteen, she's in her last year of middle school and she's part of an intricate plot involving mystical forces. Sakuno isn't sure how to handle these changes, especially when an enemy has found her before she could do anything about it! With her dragon companion, Fuji, Yukimura, Tomoka and - surprisingly - Akutsu, Sakuno hopes to stop the world from a terrible evil.
1. Book 1: It begins

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.

**A/N**: Yesh, I need to stop writing new fics...but it turns out that this is how I handle my stress. With 6 courses, I have no choice but to de-stress. Please don't mind the formatting and I wanted to try my hand at writing first-person. I haven't seen one well done, even in published books, so hopefully this story can be one of them! Reviews are always great ;)

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><p><em>Protect those who hold a piece of your heart<em>

_Or embrace the reaper who rides the death cart._

_/_/_

The dominating dragon was in deep slumber within the host. The given name was derived from a flower and the personality

conditioned to become a sweet, young and naïve girl. It was all done to deceive the forces which sought her and her descendants.

Centuries passed by peacefully and the day came for the rousing of the dragon.

Those who the child was hidden from had made themselves known in this new world.

/_/_/_/

It's often said grandmother is a terrifying woman and though it's a side of her I rarely see, there are days when I believe those words. Today was a fine example.

Ryuzaki Sumire, my grandmother, loomed over three regulars and lectures them for the simple reason of not executing a backstroke perfectly despite so much practice. Although she was smiling, the otherwise pleasant gesture didn't reach her eyes. The sun in the sky cannot penetrate the darkness she shrouds herself in.

She nearly delves into a psychological attack since she was a woman who knew men like the back of her hand. Perhaps that's what scares these boys the most – that she _knew_ their secret motivation.

I felt pity for them but couldn't understand the feeling of terror. She had never so much as scolded me in the past fifteen years we have been together. I could only imagine what emotions those regulars were undergoing.

Awkwardly, I chuckle and wait for her outside the tennis courts. I thought to set up a working environment for myself since regionals were approaching and I knew it would be hours before we went home for the day.

Soon, dusk fell upon Seishun Gakuen and an unexpected shadow descends upon my 'station'.

"Waiting for sensei, Ryuzaki-chan?" A soft yet masculine voice calls, capturing my interest.

Walking towards me was none other than Yukimura-senpai, one of the most popular men in our high school. He had transferred in the past year from Rikkai Dai due to his desire to train under grandmother and it was the closest he could get, considering she worked in the middle school.

Although they were student and coach, they had a unique friendship since Yukimura-senpai had a strong interest in gardening and of course, tennis.

"Good evening, Yukimura-senpai." I stand and bow informally. "Yes, I am. Obaa-chan wanted us to go home together today. What brings you here, senpai?"

He chuckled then asked me not to be so formal with him. I merely greeted him as my senior so it confused me why an upperclassman, with whom I don't have a special bond with, wanted me to be so informal. It wasn't proper but I didn't want to voice my concern.

"Well, I was hoping sensei could be a character reference for me. I plan to apply for the physiotherapy programs in Europe; Austria specifically."

I almost chuckled; it wasn't a well kept secret that Yukimura-sensei wouldn't ever be refused by those surrounding him, adults included. Though grandmother was one of the few who viewed him as the teenager he was, not the perfect child others thought him to be. Perhaps that's why he wanted a letter from her?

"I doubt obaa-chan would say no, senpai."

And by saying so, I managed to initiate a proper conversation between us and I made space for him to sit. We talked about tennis, classes and potential career paths. Even though the condition he has hadn't been completely cured, it was wonderful that he didn't allow it to hinder him. This would probably explain the motivation for becoming a physiotherapist.

Perhaps it was his ambition, perseverance, gentle persona or combination of all there, but when he wasn't playing tennis, something about him made me feel at ease. But whatever the reason, my fondness for him would never change.

As we conversed, something caught my eye and looking across the courts, I saw a man, slightly frightening in appearance, watching the tennis regulars play. When I frowned, Yukimura-senpai followed my line and exclaimed in surprise – well, as surprised someone like could be anyway. He was always so calm…

"I wonder, is that Akutsu Jin? What a surprise if it and here of all places." He said.

Suddenly, a memory of grandmother ranting and raving about a high school student came to mind. She said he was doing community service for an incident involving a potential arrest. At this moment, I instantly assumed it was Akutsu-san she was talking about although it wasn't right to think that way…

The silver hared man noticed us and with a last look at the tennis team, he walked away.

Shortly after, grandmother finished her session, joined us and we completely forgot about Akutsu-san. She agreed to be a reference for Yukimura-senpai and he finally accepted the ride she constantly offered. It made me smile to see them to be so comfortable with one another despite the age gap and status.

During the drive home, grandmother began bragging about my accomplishments in humanities class, specifically History, and the award I was to receive at the end of the school year. I blushed, embarrassed she was do such a thing.

"O-obaa-chan! It was nothing!" These kinds of things shouldn't be discussed so openly, especially since the award was one of condition – as long as my marks remained stable, I would receive it. Yukimura-senpai chuckled and turned to look at me from the front seat.

"You should be proud of your accomplishments, Ryuzaki-chan. Sensei has the right idea but don't worry, she always had the pride of an army." He said this as though there was a secret they both shared, shocking me since he was teasing. He didn't usually do that, not with me anyway.

Grandmother chuckled darkly. "Ho ho ho, was that a snide comments towards a certain outfit at a certain beach, Yuki-kun?"

And then the teasing began and they forgot about my existence and embarrassment.

"I'm happy about it, I just don't want the whole world to know…" I mumbled beneath my breath and looked out the car window, annoyance settling deep within my soul.

Suddenly, my attention was caught by a shadow passing over the car. I blinked once to overcome my surprise and again when I realized no one else noticed. It was such a large and dark shadow, meaning it was close to the car! How could no one else notice?!

Before I could say anything, a figure came rapidly towards us, evoking panic inside of me. The setting sun is behind it, making it difficult to identify it. My eyes widened – it's a…dragon?! Wait, what?!

"O-obaa-chan! A dragon!" I pointed and dashed to the other side of the car as she and Yukimura-senpai looked where I pointed, clearly confused. I don't have time to say anything as screaming took priority – it roared and its mouth smashed through the door, engulfing me within its dangerous jaw.

/_/_/_/

The timid beginnings of a light slowly turned into a contrasting brightness to the surrounding darkness. The light took the form of a nude, female soul. She was startled, curious why she was in the dark. Behind her, a large, white figure with golden eyes materialized.

She was frightened but slowly understood no harm would come to her. Her hand inched towards the white dragon's snout, recognizing it as the one which swallowed her whole. It was as if it had been with her throughout her life and beyond.

/_/

_Are your wits as fast as the leopard?_

_Will you be my everlasting shepard?_


	2. Book 1: An Explanation of Sorts

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.

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><p>Fuji had been reading the latest published literature by his favourite poet when he felt a sense of dread pass through him. He initially assumed it was the feelings evoked by the poet due to his talent but the second wave was much more powerful, more <em>real.<em>

He closed his book and looked out his bedroom window with a frown. There were dark clouds forming not too far from his home. Perhaps it was time for a tarot reading with his sister.

/_/_/

The first sound I heard was the heavy rain hitting a roof – the barrier dulled the sound to heavy drops. It almost altered my perception of reality since I was sure it wasn't raining before…wait, when was 'before' and where was I?

The dragon ate me! I sat up suddenly, disturbing the much needed rest my mind and body needed, blurring my eyesight for a moment too long.

"Careful, princess."

Someone's hand held my arm firmly, securing me from falling what seemed, upon closer inspection, a couch. Oh, it was my couch…and we were in my house. We…

I looked upwards and found the intense and deep green eyes of Yukimura-senpai. All sounds around me ceased and I could only think about those gorgeous green eyes that led to his soul.

I wasn't strong enough to fight the blush.

"There's been quite a commotion after you claimed to see a dragon and fainted, my lady."

I frowned – why was he using such formal titles? Was he teasing me? Then the memory of yelling about the dragon came to mind and I was mortified – how could I have done that! Yukimura-senpai must think I'm crazy…

"Ryuzaki-chan, I've been given an interesting and short explanation of why the door's window shattered. Who would've guessed?"

His words were so…unsatisfying. It only formulated more questions like what was going on? Where was my grandmother? I was about to ask but she calmly descended the stairs with a relatively thick book in her hands. I saw the relief in her eyes after seeing me then glanced at Yukimura-senpai's hand that lingered on my arm.

He released his hold so casually and followed her to the dining room table. I did as well and took a seat next to him. Grandmother sat across from me and I couldn't help but think she was feeling a lot of regret.

"Sakuno, did you sleep well?" She asked. I tried not to frown but couldn't help myself since I realized what I saw was only a dream. I'm not entirely sure how much time passed as I looked at the table, weaving my thoughts together.

"Sakuno? Are you alright?"

When I made eye contact, I couldn't help but notice Yukimura-senpai's stoic expression from the corner of my eyes. It was rare that he'd use his features as such. I took a deep breath and asked the question about the dragon, since it wasn't leaving me alone.

"I…I saw, at least I think I saw, a dragon…it just stared at me then asked…asked if I would be its shepard." I frowned again. "I think it talked to me but its lips didn't move."

After speaking, I understood how silly all of this sounded but when I paid more attention to grandmother, I could only see apprehension. I knew she wanted to give me a hug but wouldn't dare in front of Yukimura-senpai. That was my grandmother; she was too proud to show my 'weakness', so to speak. She would be a leader in this moment, not a supporter.

"What colour was the dragon?" She asked.

"…White." I replied and watched as she stood and began pacing. I could feel the increased pressure in my neck as impatience took a hold. It ascended to my head and I understood this as a frustration. It was a feeling I hadn't felt in a very long time.

"Obaa-chan, why does it matter? And _what_ is going on? Surely all of this isn't worth being worried about…right?

She looked at me then at Yukimura-senpai – I almost forgot about him since he had been so silent – and returned her gaze onto me. She was obviously debating the best way to disclose shocking information, I figured, and curiosity was increasing.

"Sakuno, there's a lot to say and please, listen with an open mind." I nodded hesitatingly. "Seiichi slightly knows of this now but it's important to know your lineage."

She opened the book on the table and positioned it upright to clearly show me what was in it. Yukimura-senpai moved his seat closer to mine so he could see as well. The first page was painted with beautiful hand drawn flowers and depicted a peaceful village overlooked by a fortress akin to the Mastsumoto-jo…

"Centuries ago, our ancestors belonged to one of the four ruling families of an era long past. Like with every generation before and after, there were unsettling politics and scandals but it was a time of peace. Unfortunately, there came a time when one of the families became involved with something dark and inhumane."

I clutched the side of my chair at grandmother's heavy tone.

"This family wanted to dominate the others and become the sole ruler of this country. But they chose the worst method – something without a spirit had been incarnated into our realm due to the spilled blood of innocent civilians. In twenty years, an heir born of human sacrifice had reached maturity to replace the family's representative in the council, which was comprised of the four noble families in Kyoto."

I put out my hands out to stop grandmother from speaking anymore. Was this real? I couldn't handle hearing more!

"O-obaa-chan, this is ridiculous!"

"Ryuzaki-chan, I hate to come across as aggressive, but perhaps we should allow Ryuzaki-sensei to finish this story."

I looked at Yukimura-senpai, whose eyes were on Obaa-chan's book. I returned my attention to grandmother, who was looking at me with pity.

"O-ok."

Grandmother nodded. "All of this is important, Sakuno. Now, the other families had inkling to what was occurring and five years prior to the maturation of this heir, an oracle passed through each of their districts. He warned them of the unnatural birth.

"There was panic among them and unknowingly, each family had the same solution: condition an heir of purity to neutralize the situation. They didn't communicate with one another but in the five years before maturation of the dark heir, two families trained two sons. The last family had been cursed due to a misdeed five hundred years prior. They were never to sire a male heir."

All of this seemed familiar, for some reason. I asked the question on my mind. "W-was this family ours…?"

Grandmother nodded. "Exactly. We are the descendents of the dragons, the Ryuzaki family. We had a lot of obstacles to overcome in the male dominated society without a son for so many generations so this was yet another. The eldest of the four, Princess Ayako, was to become a warrior instead of a priestess as was planned at birth. With utmost discretion, they sent her in the place of her husband to the council on her twentieth birthday."

I frowned; this was becoming even more complicated.

"On her journey to the capital, she met the other two warriors and had visions of what was to come if they simply waged war against the dark family. So she devised a plan to make the heir fall in love with her. It was a success."

My jaw dropped. I was once told that every tragedy involved love in some form or the other. Surely this tale didn't have a good ending.

Grandmother continued. "Her companions attacked when the heir's resolve was weakened. Days turned into weeks, weeks to months and months to years. Finally, he was destroyed when Ayako betrayed him but she was cursed by him. He vowed his soul would seek the heirs of all three families to crush them as they did him."

No one spoke for awhile and it was just as well. I needed time to process all of this. So our family had two curses? Was that even possible?

I wasn't sure how to handle this. I wanted this to be a terrible prank but grandmother's grim tone said it was anything but. Honestly, I felt like a fish out of water, struggling to adapt to a new environment. I used to watch magical girl anime and had wished those situations would be real. Now it seemed all of those fantasies were coming true but not in a positive way.

Yukimura-senpai still hadn't said anything but was drumming his fingers against the table. I couldn't tell what his opinion was on the matter. I had so many – wait, grandmother said the family was 'cursed' never to have sons…but she had my father.

Anger rushed through me as I realized that all of this could have been a lie.

"Obaa-chan, you're lying. You had father." I said sternly, for once not caring I was being rude to an elder. She simply sighed and massaged her forehead.

"…Your mother, Yumi, is my child, not Tetsuya."

I felt as though someone threw numerous bricks at me and I lost balance, falling off my seat. Yukimura-senpai caught me in time and allowed me to use him as support. My bones had turned to jelly and I couldn't stand on my own.

Then after so many moments of silence, he spoke.

"What happens now, sensei?"

…What? I gaped in disbelief at Yukimura-senpai's acceptance. How could he be so calm about this?

"It's been centuries since the descendants of that family attacked any of us. I only know what's in the book, Seiichi. I assume they felt the dragon awaken inside of Sakuno and will be searching for her.

I watched incredulity as he and grandmother discussed strategies and theories. It made me feel like a fragile doll when he guided me to the seat, his hand not leaving my arm. I barely listened as they spoke as I was lost in childhood memories of my now deceased father and grandmother.

I remember the way she scolded him when he did something wrong when it concerned me, as a mother would, not as a mother-in-law. I had various memories that would`ve fooled anyone that Ryuzaki Tetsuya was the legitimate son of Ryuzaki Sumire.

_`They are coming for you. Leave the home – it is too precious to lose now. `_

The sharp but deep voice dispersed my memories. Somehow, I felt what it said was true. I repeated this to grandmother and she startled, saying it was too soon.

`Seiichi, Sakuno, get to the car! We need to place as much distance between us and this property immediately. Go!"

Yukimura-senpai leapt into action. He grabbed the keys and dragged me out to the car. In less than a minute, we were joined by my grandmother and she drove like a lunatic. Amid the rain, I saw swirling, dark purple clouds in the distance and there were bursts of green light in the middle.

That couldn't be natural in any country. Oh dear God, this was really happening. My panic only worsened when the clouds came closer to us quickly and didn't shrink when Yukimura-senpai told me everything would be alright.

I could only breathe calmly when _that _voice spoke again.

'_We must fight and I will protect you.'_

I felt my core being pulled into an unknown world. Here I saw images – or memories – of the past.

In the dark distance, there was an angry red dragon thrusting its claws at a multiple tentacle creature and near me, on the edge of a cliff, was a woman shooting arrows at an abnormal speed. She looked over her shoulder at me.

They disappeared and another dragon, white in colour, supported an elegantly dressed woman who chanted spells with a crescent moon shaped staff. The beams of light hit a large, shadowed being and it roared in pain. The woman looked over her shoulder at me.

Again, they disappeared and in its place was an image of an injured blue dragon, dying in a decaying forest floor. A hooded figure sat close to it, mourning. She too looked at me but this time, walked to me.

'_Daughter of the cursed Ryuzaki, prevent this future from occurring.'_

She placed a hand on my shoulder and it burned. I screamed and then she was gone, leaving me in darkness once again. The only light came from the dragon I had seen before, _my_ dragon, as it came towards me.

'_Will you be my shepard?'_

"I-I don't know what that means!"

'_We must fight for the sake of those you love, if not for yourself.'_

Suddenly, I was in the car again. I touched my body to ensure this wasn't a dream. It wasn't. After looking out the window again, more clouds formed and more green sparks were present. I doubted my reality check.

I returned my gaze to my grandmother, who was fretting about what to do. Remembering the visions I saw and the words promised to me by this dragon, I made my decision. I wanted to protect these two.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the car door and rolled onto the asphalt of the bridge we were crossing, causing my grandmother to cry in alarm. I bit my lip to fight the scream wanting to leave my mouth – it really hurt falling out of the car.

So much for the dragon protecting me…

'_I was not given a warning of your impulsive decision. From this moment onwards, I will protect you.'_

Ah, mou! I wanted to swear but that cloud that had been following us manifested into a large shadow being, possibly twenty feet, and similar to the one from my vision. My confidence and anger never shrunk so quickly before.

I heard the car swerve and I knew they were coming back. This thing needed to be stopped before they returned to me.

Gazing into the red eyes, I never imagined seeing wispy beings or hearing their anguish. They wanted release. I didn't realize I was crying until a teardrop fell onto knee. It was an odd sensation because I didn't know who they were but I could feel their suffering – it was a sadness I could never understand.

'_Embrace their pain.'_

And I did. At that moment, two things happened: the shadow rushed towards me and I felt a sudden surge of power. A vision passed through my mind f people being taken from their families for sacrifice and saw them die at the hands of a priest who should've known better.

Voices sang a song of mourning and I felt warmth in my hands. The ground glowed with ancient symbols and once the peak strength was reached, I held out my hands to the shadow and two white beams burst towards it.

It moaned.

'_Trust my judgement and direction. Dodge to the right.'_

Thank goodness I kept up with tennis because my reflexes came in handy. I dodged the beast's attack, rolled and dodged again. When I jumped in accordance to the dragon's instructions, I went much higher than expected. I stupidly looked down and shrieked.

'_Concentrate.'_

It scolded me and I clicked my tongue, annoyed. It wasn't often I floated and at such a height too! I knew the dragon was trying to keep me alive but my patience was disintegrating. The beast roared again and charged towards me but a shimmering, yellow tainted and opaque wall was abruptly placed between the creature and I. Was this the dragon's promise?

'_I cannot hold it much longer. Finish it._'

When the beast pounded its fist against the barrier, chipping it, and roared, I experienced an adrenaline rush. I knew grandmother was somewhere below, unprotected by this barrier. When the soul of the archer appeared to guide my movements and lend her bow and arrows, I don't know.

With a deep breath, I pulled the arrow back and released it into the barrier, aiming for the eye of the beast. It hit! The thing screamed painfully and the souls were freed from it. Slowly, it grew smaller in size until it became just a few inches taller than me.

I frowned. It seemed as if the dark matter was enclosed around a person but I didn't have any more time to observe. The beast released a last roar and sent a last blast green energy at the barrier. It shattered and I heard the torment of the dragon before the attack hit me.

I screamed as it hit me, cutting skin in various spots. The blast threw me over the water and towards land at a neck breaking speed. As I neared the ground, I knew my chances of survival were low.

When I finally hit the ground, I knew I was going to die. The last person I ever saw was a man leaning against a tree, smoking a cigarette.

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><p><strong>AN**: Hm, I wonder who that man is?

I'm having a hard time believing the increased number of OC stories. Once upon a time, readers really hated them and it's nice that hate has nearly disappeared. Favs and follows are nice but reviews are better ;)


	3. Book 1: A Witness

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Prince of Tennis of any of its characters.

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><p><em>Yet again, there wasn't any light. I couldn't see anything but I felt it wouldn't last long. I knew he would come and illuminate everything around me. And he did. <em>

_I turned and gazed into the eyes of the white dragon._

"_Do you have a name?"I asked without speaking. _

"_I do not." He replied softly. _

"_Is it finished?"_

"_Not until the cycle is broken. But for now, it is time to part ways." _

/_/_/

I felt the cold breeze and the hard surface I was lying on before seeing anything. Slowly, I opened my eyes and adjusted to the night's environment. The first thing I saw was a large trash bin that seemed familiar…I blinked and scanned the grounds.

After seeing grass, a paved path, lights, a playground in the distance and considering the fact that I was on a bench, I deduced I was in a park. While rising, I was startled to feel a jacket slide off of me and see it land on the ground with a quiet rustle.

…Whose was that?

As I reached for it, the stench of a lit cigarette reached my nose. I turned to the source and standing at the back of the bench, leaning against it, was a silver haired man looking in the opposite direction. I shrieked and tumbled off of the bench. I hastily righted my sprawled legs so he wouldn't see anything – I was still wearing my uniform.

The man glanced at me then turned around again, his attention somewhere in the distance. After a few moments, I recognized the man as the trouble maker, Akutsu Jin. My surprise turned to panic and I quickly tried to stand.

That was when I remembered what happened not too long ago – my legs gave away and I landed on my elbow. It hurt more than expected and I groaned. Then, surprisingly, Akutsu-san picked me up from behind and placed me on the bench.

He stared at me. I looked away, unable to make eye contact with those sharp, golden eyes. This situation was very uncomfortable; I didn't know where I was, I don't know what happened after the battle and I was at a painful point of hunger.

"How are you alive?"

He suddenly asked in a husky voice, prompting me to frown and look into his eyes.

That was a mistake.

I felt a sudden sense of recognition mixed with malice. It was a feeling I was sure I hadn't ever felt so why did it seem so…familiar? I wasn't sure what to do or say, for that matter. So I said the first thing that came to mind, which wasn't really smart.

"I-I don't know what you mean."

He frowned and pointed at the huge indent I must've left after I hit on the ground…he was right, how was I alive? I stuttered but couldn't say anything intelligent whatsoever. I felt incredibly stressed and began to feel tears forming.

Akutsu-san sighed and sat on the opposite side of the bench. I shivered.

"Use the jacket." He ordered and I did without question even though my reaction wasn't due to the cold – having him sit near me was a little nerve wracking. But strangely enough, it also eased some of my apprehension. Maybe it was because I knew _of_ him? It was much better than finding a complete stranger with me after waking up.

Speaking of which, I hadn't properly reflected on what happened. From what I last remembered, the dragon had put up a barrier to shield me and I _think_ I got help from one of the women I saw in my vision. That must've been it otherwise how would I have gotten the bow and arrow?

But it wasn't enough. The monster had used a blast to blow me away with the last of its strength. I looked down at my hands and legs, finding them scratched and some crusted with dried blood. I blanched but the memory of the shadow disintegrating brought my mind back.

It had shrunk into _someone_ taller than me. What did this mean? And what did the dragon mean by the cycle? Was he referring to the curse? He was keeping silent for now which was truly inconvenient. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if grandmother and Yukimura-senpai were okay!

And this is when the tears fell down my cheeks.

I didn't want to make any noise because who knew how Akutsu-san would react. I didn't want him to yell at me or, goodness forbid, hit me. That dose of malevolence I felt from him was something I didn't want to experience again.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a movement and with considerable reservation, I looked over. Again, Akutsu-san surprised me by offering a cell phone. He didn't look at me nor did he say anything. I thanked him quietly and took it, quickly dialing grandmother's mobile.

"_Sakuno! Are you okay? Where are you?!"_

"I-I'm fine, obaa-chan…I'm at a park…"

"_Park? Which one?" _

"U-um…" I looked around and didn't recognize the area.

"Across the Yamabuki high school, near the tennis courts." Akutsu-san said, surprising me yet again. I repeated this, shocked I came so far, and grandmother said she'd be there in about ten minutes. It was a relief that she was alright and by association, surely Yukimura-senpai was alright as well.

I returned the cell phone to him and he took it with a quiet grunt. Ten minutes, I thought, was a really long time, especially in this situation. But thinking back, Akutsu-san didn't have to stay with me…or lend me his jacket. In fact, it was shocking that he did. He deserved a thank you.

"U-um…thank you for staying with me, Akutsu-san…obaa-chan will be here in ten minutes. Y-you don't have to stay here anymore…"

I said as I looked at him. I was expecting him to merely nod and leave but again, it was obvious I didn't know him very well.

"It gets dangerous at night here." He said, implying that he would stay. It made me slightly happy to know someone would wait with me. "How did this happen?"

That happiness disappeared. He did deserve to know, considering his actions but it was also a…really hard thing to talk about. It was probable he wouldn't believe her and call her terrible names. I sighed and looked at the ground.

"…I don't think Akutsu-san would believe me."

"Why do you know my name?"

"U-um, I saw the match between you and Ryoma-kun years ago…"

He grunted and I looked at him. It was slightly terrifying to see him smirking with a cigarette between his lips.

"He still in America?"

"Yes…" I smiled sadly. It was hoping for too much that he would've decided to stay in Japan but America was his true home.

"Try me."

"E-excuse me?" What was he talking about? Surely he wasn't talking about my crush…

"Tell me how this happened." He said sternly.

Right, of course not. Why would he even care or know about something like that? I didn't want to go there because, well, what would one say? I fought a monster and it punched me all the way here?

"Um, I was serious when I said you won't believe me…" I started but his sudden glare told me to continue anyway. "I got into an unexpected fight and even though I won, my opponent struck me with all its energy at the end…"

I couldn't look at him. He didn't say anything for awhile.

"Sounds impossible." Akutsu-san finally said, dropping his cigarette onto the ground and crushing it with his foot. I sighed again – that's why I warned him.

Nothing else needed to be said because his phone went off. He answered it and after a minute, ended the call. He said my grandmother was here. I finally felt a tremendous amount of relief and again, tried to stand on my own. Sometimes, intelligence comes second to emotion.

I would've collapsed again had Akutsu-san not grabbed my arm. I blushed and allowed him to steer me upright. Things became too weird when he threw me over his shoulder and walked in the direction grandmother was waiting.

My face reddened at the closeness – what if my grandmother saw me like this! I squirmed but he lightly pinched my arm, silencing me. I was too embarrassed to say anything after that. After a few more steps, he put me down next to a tree.

"Use the tree for support." He said, I did and then he walked away. I didn't have the time to call to him since grandmother was running towards me.

"Sakuno! My God! Are you alright?" She inspected my wounds and tested my limitations. Yukimura-senpai, who I was grateful to for staying with her, came to us and offered his assistance. Grandmother took it and went to the car, prepping the back seat for me.

"That was quite a show, Ryuzaki-chan. I'm glad you're alright." He said with a sweet smile. I returned it.

"Thank you for staying with obaa-chan."

"There isn't anything to thank me for. Ryuzaki-sensei is a tough woman so I'm satisfying my curiosity."

It was nice of him to defend grandmother like that. I could see why she liked Yukimura-senpai so much. I accepted his help and soon, was lying on the backseat. Now that grandmother was here, I didn't feel like there was much to worry about.

As we drove away, I recounted the events that occurred after I left them. No one said anything for awhile until grandmother asked me a vital question.

"Sakuno, whose jacket are you using? And who was I speaking with on the phone?"

Ah! How could I have forgotten about the jacket?! Oh, mou, that meant I needed to speak to him again. Akutsu-san already thought I was crazy so it wasn't a meeting I was looking forward to.

"Sakuno?"

Grandmother's tone was dripping with wonder and I sighed, having an idea where she was going to go with this.

"It's…Akutsu-san's jacket…" I mumbled and kept my eyes on the door window, looking at the now clear sky above. "It was him you were speaking to, obaa-chan."

The car suddenly jerked and I nearly toppled off the seat. I stopped myself and looked up, nearly bumping noses with grandmother.

"_What?!_ That troubled child helped you?!"

"O-obaa-chan! The car, the car!" I pointed to the steering wheel Yukimura-senpai was attempting to control. Grandmother growled and took control, murmuring some obviously unpleasant things. Yukimura-senpai merely grinned.

"That was nice of him. Perhaps he's misunderstood. Don't you think so, sensei?"

Grandmother didn't say anything immediately but when she did, it didn't have anything to do with Yukimura-senpai's comment.

"You'll have to return the jacket, Sakuno. He's the one I was telling you about."

So Akutsu-san _was_ the one doing community service near Seigaku. I was curious to what he did now but I was too tired to ponder too much on it. So I closed my eyes in hopes that my fatigue would overpower hunger.

/_/_/

When I woke up, I was in my bedroom and incredibly comfortable. I wasn't sure how I got up here but it wasn't important. I heard my cell phone beep from my desk and took my time to reach it. The good thing was I could hold up my weight with my legs.

I found a text from Tomo-chan, talking about the strange thunderstorm earlier in the evening. She was wondering if I had seen it too. Oh, if only she knew…

I replied with fake interest and put my phone away. There was another worry that crept into my mind – every time I slept, I would always see the dragon but not this time. I wasn't sure if that was a good sign…or if he was too weak from that battle.

Either way, not having someone to clear up matters didn't help the overall situation. I sighed and returned to bed, hoping to sleep again. But when I heard three distinct voices speaking, I knew things just became much more complicated.

I quietly walked to the door and opened it slowly. It took awhile for me to make out what was occurring downstairs. It seemed to be another important discussion.

"…no, we can't wait too long. I'm surprised you came here, though."

"My sister wouldn't have it otherwise, Sumire-chan."

I frowned. There was only one person who would call grandmother that.

"Your sister has remarkable talent, Fuji-kun. Ryuzaki-sensei, are you sure no one else would have been able to see the battle?"

"No, those blessed with a particular gene or ability would be able to. Were you able to see anything, Syusuke-kun?"

"Just dark clouds and flashes of green, that's all. I wish I could've seen this amazing battle Yukimura-kun speaks of."

I sighed impatiently. What was Fuji-senpai doing here? This was getting beyond ridiculous again and I knew that I wouldn't get answers unless I was direct. So I slowly made my way downstairs, surprising every one sitting at the table.

"Good evening, Fuji-senpai." I said as lightly as possible. He smiled.

"Ma, seems like you had quite the adventure this evening, Ryuzaki-chan."

Not how I would've put it but I weakly smiled and joined everyone. I asked, as politely as possible, what Fuji-senpai was doing here. Grandmother thought for awhile, probably the best way of telling me, and explained.

"Syusuke-kun saw more than what others did and his sister referred him to us. How, I don't know but this means he's meant to help in some way or another."

"Help…what exactly are we doing, obaa-chan?" I asked, unsure of whether I would like the answer.

Grandmother looked at me grimly.

"We are going into battle, Sakuno, and we need to find the other descendents."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Thanks for the support, everyone :) This was supposed to be a mini-series but yea, that probably isn't going to work.

_tsubame-chan_: Please give me your email address! I always want to interact with you but find that I can't. This fic has been sitting in my hard drive for quite awhile and I can't write an original work sooo it became fanfic ;)


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